Erasmus Krauler
'Appearance' Standing six foot one, Erasmus Krauler seems born for the role of commanding officer. With his platinum hair and strikingly angular features, he presents the ideal of Torun masculinity, but his icy blue eyes can silence a room with a glare. Rarely appearing in Dauphane out of his crisply pressed dress uniform, he exudes an air of professionalism - an air that seems to straighten the posture and liven the step of any nearby Torun soldier. 'Personality' In public, Colonel Krauler could be described as cold, detached, or withdrawn. To be sure, he is unfailingly polite, but he rarely shifts from the role of silent observer unless it is necessary. Many have taken this as a sign of disinterest, but nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, Erasmus' mannerisms are the result of his tremendous intellect, his ability to observe and rapidly deduce the nature of a problem. When he does contribute in an official capacity, it is often insightful, and frequently incisive. Colonel Krauler was not always so cold - indeed, in the opening years of the war he was somewhat infamous for his fraternization with his men. Of course, he was only a lieutenant then, but the true focal point of the shift came with the death of his brother. Erasmus blamed himself for the death, blamed what he came to see as his impetuous nature, and withdrew into himself lest he get more men killed. The consensus is that it made him a better officer, but the strain of assumed guilt weighs heavily on him to this day. However, in private, many of Erasmus's walls fall. When surrounded by friends, his easy smile reappears with his earnest laugh, and he seems a different man. Hiding beneath his frigid exterior is an infectious warmth, though few under his command would ever believe it. His sharp tongue remains, though, turned to playful barbs and sparring rather than decisive orders. 'History' Erasmus is the eldest son of Johann Krauler IV, patriarch of the Central Kraulers and CEO of Krauler Industries. Raised in a life of unmatched privilege, he enjoyed the finest tutors, the most exclusive travel, the rarest of luxuries. All his life was spent at the apex of Torun society, desired by the beautiful daughters of his father's equals, envied by their sons, and alternatively worshiped and despised by the common man. However, despite a life of comfort, Erasmus was never truly at ease. Always uncomfortable with the constant pandering by his family's servants, he found the supplication to his family's name almost too much to bear. He felt unworthy, and he hated himself for it, as he saw how his dissatisfaction worried his family. There seemed no way for him to truly define himself on his own terms, until the war came. To the shock of all of Torun high society, Erasmus was one of the first volunteers when the call for soldiers came. Though his intent was to enlist as a common soldier, he could not escape his family's name. He was made a Lieutenant as soon as his enlistment was approved, and his father's influence kept him away from the front lines for six months. That intervention likely saved his life, but that was small comfort to Erasmus as he spent his days behind a desk, filling out requisition reports while thousands of men perished every day. Eventually, though, he managed to convince his father to let him pursue his own path, and he was reassigned to the front lines. Erasmus served with distinction for the remainder of the war, earning promotion to the rank of Captain by the time Torun breached the Auvers line in Crimson Valley. Due to his unique familiarity with Krauler engineering, his was one of the first units assigned a functioning tank. At that juncture, Torun did not have enough of the mighty machines to trust any large number to a single push, instead merging them into infantry battalions as mobile command stations and leaders of a charge. With the increased production demanded by the invasion of Auveraine, most armored units were recalled into complete divisions, but High Command recognized the value of smaller, specialized units of mixed composition. Captain Krauler was put in command of one of these special operations groups, and proceeded to lead his unit deep into enemy territory to disrupt the Auvers defense in any way possible. It was in that group that he met Morgan McShane, and they served together until the end of the war. With the cessation of hostilities, Lieutenant Colonel Krauler was awarded for valor and allowed an indefinite leave of absence to mourn his little brother. He returned home to see his family for the first time in years, and to attend the state funeral. When he returned to duty at the Crimson Valley central garrison four months later, he was a changed man. He'd always felt Josef had entered the war to emulate him, and thus placed the whole of the blame on himself. In his absence, most of his unit had been reassigned, and Erasmus found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to train green recruits on the way to occupation garrisons. As the Torun grip on Auverine grew, more senior officers were transferred elsewhere, leaving Erasmus in command of Crimson Valley for more than two years. To the recruits he was a nightmare, a looming vision of martial perfection that demanded the very best from them. He broke them, one by one, in order to build them into soldiers who could survive when so many before them had fallen, but when they transferred away he was always remembered fondly as an unbending symbol of righteous discipline. That all changed a month ago, when the Military Governor of Dauphane, one General Hermann Vogl, was killed by a bomb planted in his residence. The occupation that had seemed so successful suddenly showed signs of weakness, and senior officers that had once fought for the post began to shun it. None of them wanted to brave the potential humiliation of an Auvers resistance appearing on their watch, and so the task fell to a junior officer. Once again, Erasmus leapt at the opportunity, and was promoted to full Colonel for his troubles. Now, having spent a month resolving his affairs at Crimson Valley and recalling a select group of command officers, he has departed for Dauphane to restore security and order to the conquered capital. 'Advantages' *'Intelligence III (Common)' *'Intimidating I (Uncommon)' *'Authority III (Uncommon)' *'Leadership I (Common)' **'Army III (Rare)' **'Martial Training, Torun Military II (Uncommon)' 'Linked Story Elements' *Aensland